AC power is
often an overlooked element in the audio chain. Understandably, with so many components
vying for hard-earned dollars, it's no wonder power conditioning tends to have a low
place on the priority list. However, increasing evidence regarding the detrimental effects
of crude AC on delicate audio components suggests that even the humblest of systems can
benefit from power conditioning. Would you run your car on kerosene? I've listened to
a variety of power conditioning products from companies such as PS Audio, Brickwall,
Balanced Power, Monster Cable, and Richard Gray. All of their products reduced AC
contaminants entering my system and increased musical satisfaction, but none had such a
profound impact as the Audio Magic Stealth Power Purifier. Granted, one could purchase all
of the above products for the price of one Stealth.

Details about
the Power Purifier are limited. It is a small, lightweight, black plastic box about 11
inches wide by 3.5 inches tall by 8 inches deep. The version I have contains six
high-grade outlets, a removable power cord, and a reset switch on the back. According to
the product literature, the Stealth incorporates seven stages of protection and is wired
with pure silver conductors.

My first
experiment with the Stealth involved plugging my Magnum Dynalab 208 receiver into it.
Alone, the 208 is a highly regarded music maker. With the Stealth in place, however, the
208 ascended to superstar status. Background noise became imperceptible. Highs extended
and shimmered with delicate light. Low bass flowed deeper than ever, and the midrange took
on sharp focus and vivid detail. I listen to guitar quite a bitclassical, flamenco,
jazz, country, rock, acoustic, electric are all represented in my collection. I'm
fascinated by the sounds and shapes of different guitars. One of my great joys in life is
to pick up one of my handmade instruments and play along. Listening to guitar recordings
with the Stealth brought me closer to the sound of the real thing. Each down-stroke and
upstroke of a rhythm became more separated in time. Each string in a line of finger-picked
notes retained individuality and character. You may not care whether a G is played on the
first or second string of the guitar, but I do. Such detail is very helpful when
attempting to figure out a piece by ear.

Similar
results were produced when sources were inserted into the Stealth. Grunge was eliminated,
allowing subtleties like timbre, harmony, attack, and decay to shine. Spatial information
also became more apparent and defined, leading to a re-appreciation of my favorite
recordings.

The Audio
Magic Stealth Power Purifier is an outstanding, albeit expensive, component. While it was
in my system I discovered many ear-tickling details, felt deep bass, and listened
intensely to music in a manner previously unavailable to me. I have not yet figured out
how to purchase this unit. Hopefully, I can request some overtime at work, because the
Audio Magic has cast a spell over me. Victor Chavira

What should
a power line filter do? And what audible effect should it have? I ask these questions as
an introduction to the Audio Magic Stealth Power Purifier.

Having used a
PS Audio P300 for many months, I was so impressed that I chose to purchase it. To quote my
own review, "the PS300 wrought significant improvements to my system, in all the
areas that audiophiles cherish.... Almost like a turbocharger for one's system, the P300
was not subtle in its ability to allow my components to work at their best." This is
no doubt a result of the P300's ability to regenerate the AC and then offer it to
components in balanced form. With respect to the unit's "Multiwave"
feature, let me again quote myself: "Going from one Multiwave setting to another will
allow you to change soundstaging depth and width, add or remove a bit of warmth, and open
up the music to some degree.... One can almost use the Multiwave function like a tone
control or soundfield control."

Nevertheless
there are several downsides to the P300. The unit runs hot, requiring a fan that is
audible from across the room. Also, since the P300 is really an amplifier, it draws a fair
amount of AC from the wall. And last, with the multiwave, I could hear the transformers in
various components "motorboating" as they were fed different frequencies. This
was the biggest question that ate away at my brain: Would the P300 slowly kill my
components?" Oh, and the P300 only has four outlets, and is limited to use with
front-end components.

Could the Audio Magic, or any other such device, give me similar results,
and at a similar
price point? I have heard and read many good things about the Sound Application and
Shunyata units, as well as the Stealth, but so far only the Stealth has arrived for
review. (The others have been promised.) Priced considerably less than the Sound
Application unit and half that of the Shunyata, could the Stealth be a winner? Back to my
original question. What should a power line filter do? It should clean the AC of various
broadband distortions and/or noise on the line from either direction (RFI and EMI).
Ideally it will also offer a more steady AC flow, like the P300, so that components do not
see dips or spikes in the AC. It should also protect components from surges, so that in
the event of lightning or whatever, the gear does not suffer catastrophic failure.

Here's
what can tell you about the Stealth with respect to this question. The Stealth is wired
throughout with ultra-pure, solid, 10-gauge silver wire that has been specially treated
and polished to reduce noise and improve and maintain maximum conductivity. It uses three
Leviton hospital-grade 20-amp isolated ground duplexes, with pure silver buss bars between
each set. There are five stages of surge and spike protection, two active and three
passive. There are four different types of purification, one active and three passive. The
unit also has four QC devices, six FI-B devices, and one dual-mode quantum filter, with
three super-high-voltage hand-selected capacitors that will purify clear into the
gigahertz range. The Stealth has absolutely no current limiting, but is limited to its
15-amp breaker. All of this means... well, you got me! Apparently the Stealth is really
good at cleaning up the AC while offering protection against spikes and surges. Plus,
Audio Magic claims that any electrical device plugged into the Stealth will last longer
and work better. Why not?

Okay, but what
about my second question? What would I hear in terms of the music being reproduced
by my system? I have tried a fair number of AC-purification items that definitely changed
the way the music sounded, but did not always make it better. Out of the box, the Stealth
was a touch too bright and hard, with a shallow soundfield. After a week or so, these
problems disappeared. (The Stealth apparently requires up to 500 hours of break-in.
Fortunately Audio Magic does a fair amount of that at the factory.) The result? Go back to
what I wrote about the P300 and take it to a whole nother level. With the Stealth,
there is considerably more silence between the notes, with a much greater sense of musical
harmonics decaying with natural ease. Little details just hang there forever as they fade
into a deep dark blackness. I can also hear much deeper into the music, with such an
increase in transparency and clarity that it is startling, with a high jump factor. Subtle
dynamic shadings are portrayed in such a way that on a well-recorded disc, the performers
sound amazingly real. Music has that eerie silence, with such a beautiful and natural
purity that all I want to do is pull out disc after disc and listen. Bass has added slam,
and has lost a hint of fullness that had become a bit of an ear-sore. This is really cool!

Want a more
open sound? Want music in the room with you? Want up-front seats, but with a wide and deep
soundfield? Desire the ultimate in palpability, with a rich and textured harmonic
tapestry? Need greater presence with no sonic tradeoffs? The Stealth is for you! I heard
no tradeoffs going from the P300 to the Stealth. I guess my AC is pretty steady and strong
to begin with, or that the Stealth helps to steady the AC without the need for
regeneration. I have yet to hear anything that would lead me to say anything negative
about the Stealth. Is it a winner? Unequivocally, yes. Would I sell the P300 and buy the
Stealth?

Let's
see. It is dead quiet, it does not generate heat or consume additional AC, it allows me
two additional outlets with the ability to handle up to 15 amps, it does not appear to be
stressing any components hooked up to it, and it makes my system produce music that far
exceeds, on an emotional level, what I heard via the P300. A no-brainer.

But
here's the rub. Of all the things that can affect a system's ability to
reproduce music in the home, it is AC that is the most difficult to get a handle on. I
have found that what works in one system may not work in another. There are so many
variables affecting the AC that it is difficult to predict what will work for you. All I
can say is that in my system the Stealth is unbelievable. Dave Clark